Pictured here is Ron, our regular delivery driver from Shaw Industries, delivering over 5000 sq. yards of carpet for a big commercial job for us.  He is always prompt, courteous, and willing to go the extra mile for us. Just another great example of quality Shaw Personnel.

Keep your carpet just-like-new

Carpet may be one of the easiest types of flooring to take care of. Learn how to keep yours looking great over time with a simple care program:

• Preventive Maintenance - protect your investment before problems occur.
• Vacuuming - prolong the life and beauty of your floor.
• Spot and Spill Removal - be prepared for the unavoidable.
• Overall Cleaning - get regular care with cleaning systems.
• DIY Cleaning - get the right equipment to do it yourself.
• R2X- stain and soil remover.

No carpet is absolutely stain proof

Some carpets have stain resistant treatments that improve your ability to clean stains, but not prevent them. Similarly, carpets with soil resistant treatments reduce the rate of soiling, but all carpets require regular care and maintenance. Resist carpet soil and stains with R2X, Shaw’s own breakthrough technology.

Stains and soil

The majority of stain complaints are actually soil related. For example, many sugar-based spills, such as soft drinks and coffee, leave a sugar residue after removal. This sticky residue readily attracts soil from ordinary shoe traffic, and the resulting discolored area appears to be a stain.

The same thing happens when spills are cleaned with a detergent solution and the area is not sufficiently rinsed with plain water, leaving a sticky detergent residue. It is important to rinse thoroughly with water and blot dry after removing any spill.

You will want to reference your Shaw Residential Warranty for specific care requirements.

Porcelain tile’s beauty and durability are amazing.

Porcelain tile is a type of ceramic made of a very fine mixture of clays and minerals similar to those found in fine dinnerware. These special clays allow porcelain tile to be fired at temperatures even higher than ceramic tile, typically exceeding 2,400 degrees (F). The higher temperature results in a very dense tile. And the denser a tile, the better it resists moisture.

Like ceramic tile, porcelain tile from Shaw Tile & Stone collections are resistant to stains, odors, bacteria, and scratches. It is also…

• denser and harder than most other tile

• highly stain and water resistant

• naturally hygienic with easy to clean surfaces that can be smooth, textured, or polished
  beautiful and durable, both in the home or in commercial applications

Carpet and Allergens – Answers to Common Misconceptions

Allergens

Some biopollutants, such as animals, dander, house dust mites, and mold, have been linked to allergies and asthma, and many of these substances are commonly found in the average home.  It is important to understand that the mere presence of allergens does not in itself pose a hazard.  The allergen must be inhaled for exposure to occur, and in order for inhalation to occur, the allergen must be airborne.

Carpet acts as a trap for allergens

Carpet is capable of holding significant quantities of soil, dust, etc., without appearing very dirty.  It has been demonstrated that carpet is quite efficient at keeping allergen and other small particles such as pollen out of the air.  In fact, data from a Swedish government study indicates that when use of carpet declined, the number of people reporting allergy problems increased.

Regular vacuuming with a vacuum using a high-efficiency filter and periodic cleaning using the hot-water extraction cleaning (“steam cleaning”) removes the majority of allergen from carpet as well as significantly reducing mite populations.

Research has clearly shown that there is no correlation between allergen contained in carpet and allergen in the air in the carpeted room.

Research on carpet

In 2002, two schools in North Carolina were the subject of a study conducted by Research Triangle Institue (RTI) and University of North Carolina (UNC) investigators.  One school had mostly resilient tile floors, while the other was 70-75% carpeted. The study found that airborne contaminants, possible sources of allergens, were higher over the tiled floors than over carpet.

Also in 2002, Professional Testing Laboratory studied the effect of foot traffic on air quality, using commercial carpet and commercial vinyl flooring.  Following 16 minutes of foot traffic over both surfaces, the particulate concentration over the vinyl floor was found to be four times that of carpet.

Other studies, including one using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), have reinforced these findings and concluded that carpets actually reduce exposure to particulates and potential adverse health effects.

In a recent paper, “Carpet, Asthma and Allergies – Myth or Realty,” Dr. Mitchell Sauerhoff, Ph.D., DABT, examined numerous scientific studies and other research contradicting some long-held beliefs on carpet’s alleged negative characteristics.

Sauerhoff concluded, “…based on the available science, carpet does not cause asthma or allergies and does not increase the incidence or severity of asthma or allergies symptoms. In fact, with respect to asthma and allergies, multiple studies have reported fewer allergy and asthma symptoms associated with carpet.”